$$ DESIGNER TEES
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- SLAZ
why does it seem that all these "designer" tees are so effin expensive? $22 for a tshirt? come'on... we know it only costs a couple of bucks to actually make, are you really trying to make that much profit off of these?
don't get me wrong, there is a ton of nice designers and shirt designs out there, but I am more deterred to buy them just for the fact that they want $22 for it. makes me sad :(
- mitsu0
maybe it cuts down the volume they need to (re)order while keeping their side-business profitable.
- sauerbraten0
true, most of those shirts are crap too. however, you're paying more cuz it's usually a small editions being produced, you're not going to see that many people walking around with the same "designer" shit. i'd choose wisely, cuz there's so much shit being sold..
- yarsrevenge0
true dat... low volume means price will go up... don't think they are trying to rip you of
- smoothblend0
a shirt that noone else will have is priceless.
- gepetto0
Independant designers are usually just doing small print runs for their few fans and so forth so the cost to print, pack, and ship is more expensive than your everyday retail shop.
And then there are some organizations that sell t-shirts that are produced sweatshop FREE and that raises the price as well.
http://www.areyougeneric.org/ sells sweatshop, logo, and brand free tees for under twenty bucks. As does americanapparel.net
- endsim0
Maybe you went and saw my site where my Tees are $22
Well let me just tell you. I barely make enough to stay afloat. When you figure in cost of the shirt (even wholesale) plus cost of printing plus cost of the tag and advertising and the web host, meanwhile credit card companies take a cut for each sale using thier card, then you got the bank taking monthly fees for business account and another bank for the merchant account. I also live in NYC and I don't charge my customers shipping!
Christ dude, you have no idea. Maybe if I had 15 thousand shirts being made per run with cheap shirts from India... all being printed in a fullfillment house in Mexico, I could give you an "Old Navy" deal. But it so happens that I do runs of like 2 dozen every few months, use high quality sweatshop free shirts... and I do it because I love it. I'm working fulltime at a design firm and doing this on the side.
Ask around, no designer is raking in mad cash from making shirts. Give me a break and support the community.
- SLAZ0
endsim, nice rant..
my comment wasnt directed at you, but it can be now. it's cool you design this stuff on the side, but don't give me your "barely stay afloat" crap. we all have our hardships, now back to the comments on hand...
why is soo much work put into designing these shirts then if you are only doing a couple of dozen at a time? why do you need a tag made and sewed in? shit, some of the best ones I seen were iron-ons... shirt and print, done deal. its the design you are buying, not the "tag". it can say fruit of the loom, i dont care.
I am merely saying that all designer tees seem to be expensive, and trust me $22 is a lot for a t-shirt that is gonna shrink after one wash. I live in NYC also, so feel for me having to pay $22 to support my fellow designs while i am barely staying afloat.
- schedule20
Well said Endsim!
I have been making "independant designer" shirts for over 7 years and I can barely afford rent. The biggest issue here is the quantity that we are producing here. When you only make 5 or 6 dozen of a design, a quality screenprinter is going to charge you what the industry calls a sample charge. Sometimes as high as $4.00 a shirt just for the printing, not including buying the screens, which you have to buy for every color used in the design. Add sewing in labels, printing hang tags, printing on American Apparel shirts which go wholesale for $3.90, buying shipping materials, and fancy packing. All of a sudden you are up to $10-$11 per shirt. And that doesn't include all the time it takes to design the shirt and the 9% commission the credit card companies take for allowing you to accept credit on your site. So if by selling a shirt for $20 + you think we are getting rich, go back to Old Navy, and wear your "Everybody in Khakis shirt."
- ********0
both slaz & endsim have good points. but for 3 bean t-shirt for 22 dollas is steep for me.
i would rather buy a 3 pack of plain white polo's and a 6 pack of heinekens for that price. well, maybe add 30 cents more for deposit
- SLAZ0
again, another barely afford rent line... come on, all i asked is why are they so much and I get stories of low income wages. i understand your points, ok.
wouldnt it be cheaper to just buy the supplies and do it yourself? does it become a time issue? what about approaching local stores to sell them. Would it be cheaper in the store, not paying the credit card charges and such?
p.s., both your shirt designs are pretty hot, and i got an invicid poster and a shirt, so i have supported you already.
- SLAZ0
ikbenvanrijn, you can buy henieken cans and build yourself a shirt with the empties...
- ********0
would be the bomb with a can shirt. would be hot on eBay®
- taragee0
u whiney bastids
- schedule20
Hey Steve,
To do it yourself requires alot of time. I built a machine in my garage a few years back and began printing my own shirts. The time to clean up, burn the screens, register the design properly, etc. is in my opinion to great so I opted to hire out the screen printing duties. I can only speak for myself, but the reason why I make shirts is because I love doing it. I love the screen printed medium. I don't really make too much money with Invicid, infact I have to work another job to get by. But I won't stop doing it, cause it's just so fun. I am greatful for your support Steve! I only wish I had more funds to buy up alot of these great designs that are out there at the moment. It's a great time for t-shirts!
- taragee0
a tshirt in a store is at least $18
- ********0
i'll seel this design to you for a 14 dollas tara
- shant0
I bought my own 4 color press for $450. Shirts from AmericanApparel are $3-$4 each. Ink, screens, etc, tags in neck, arm tags, sewn in under the linings, and the cost of the shirts are still about $6-8.
That's up to 4 color.
You guys are over-charging. If you're going to say you do it because you love it, then why do you need a profit of over $14 before shipping?
- shant0
I think $15-18 is a reasonable price for a shirt. I never buy a t-shirt over $20.
- schedule20
Shant,
I dont know how much your time is worth to you? But for me, I like to make more than .30 cents an hour. If you enjoy spennding the time to print your own shirts more power to you. Obviously you didn't read what I wrote before regarding costs.
- atomica0
Invicid owns, and these Endsim shirts are looking mighty tempting as well. 20-25$ is pretty damned cheap for a low edition shirt printed on nice american made shirts. Either continue to buy your shirts at K-mart or stop whining and look posh.